DPS seeks AG opinion on excrement request

Tired of the Texas Capitol poo talk? So are we, but it wasn’t the media who opened up that jar – err, can – of worms.

The latest development in our efforts to sniff (or try not to) out the truth has been stymied by the Texas Department of Public Safety. On Monday, the Express-News received an email stating that our request for information, along with five other similar ones, was sent to the Attorney General’s office for a ruling.

On July 15, the Express-News filed an open records request for several items related to events at the Capitol on July 12, the night that the Texas Senate voted on the omnibus abortion bill.

DPS released a statement that day saying that 18 jars of suspected feces and one jar of suspected urine were “discovered” during bag searches. State troopers who were asked by reporters that night said they didn’t know of any excrement – human or otherwise – that was brought under the pink dome.

Officials said the items were discarded at the Senate gallery entrance voluntarily, and not confiscated and marked as evidence. So, the Express-News and several others requested evidence, documents and other materials that led to DPS’ news release. State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, asked DPS Director Steve McCraw for evidence to back up the original press release.

“We believe some or all of the requested information is excepted from required public disclosure pursuant to sections 552.101 through 552.153 of the Government Code,” the letter states, citing all of the sections of the code that allow for public information to be withheld.